skimmed the article. “You have got to be kidding me.” Well, that’s what she meant to say, although she was pretty sure there had been some other not-so-nice words spliced into the sentence. Then, she clapped her hand over her mouth and shot an apologetic look at the older woman who had watched her suitcase. Bad habit, that. Something about being away from the office gave her a foul sailor’s mouth. Her mama would have a heart attack if she knew.
Hunny, realizing that Arthur, who normally asked a lot of questions and gave a lot of needless direction, had said next to nothing since he called her, got his attention “Arthur?”
“Well...” he hedged. It was unlike Arthur to hesitate, but Hunny already knew she was not going to like whatever it was he had to say. “I can only assume by your outburst that you’ve discovered our slight situation.”
“Slight?” Her tone was dry, incredulous. Arthur was uncharacteristically stalling. “Arthur Adam Gentry.”
“Yes, Ms. Lewis?”
“Did you call to discuss our slight situation?” For a moment he was silent. Her heart started to race in anticipation.
“I was hoping to get in touch with you before you found out,” he began. “However, you are—as usual—advanced in your information.”
“Not as advanced as I’d like to be, I assure you,” Huntington answered. “For example, I don’t care that he’s featured in four photos with four different women. But, I’d like to have been there to tell that jackass to keep it in his pants before he got involved with someone who worked for the Food and Drug Administration and was, at the time of the indiscretion, the girlfriend of the hottest running back of the century, Devon McAteer.”
So much for keeping a low profile, golfing, giving to charity, showing a staid, conservative image. Hunny couldn’t stop staring at the picture of the gorgeous man with brilliant white smile and the elegant beauty pictured beside him. She was tall and rail thin with thin lips, brows, nose and brown eyes. She wore a champagne-colored dress that melted against her cinnamon kissed peaches and cream complexion. She wore her straight black hair in a fashionable, tidy French roll making her look like Lena Horne in her prime. The woman was looking at him with such longing in her eyes.
He, all bulky and charismatic, was looking at the camera. Hunny almost felt like his eyes were right on her. He was dark-skinned, clean cut in his fastidious black tuxedo. That he was tall and his body thick and muscled was undeniable even in print. And that smile, that face. His jaw was square to frame full, soft-looking lips parted over strong white teeth. His black eyes were large and expressive. She breathed once, twice. She would stay quiet until she trusted herself to speak again. He was probably the most handsome man she had ever seen.
She reread the caption beneath the picture of him and Nicole Davidson. Two weeks ago, this picture was taken only two weeks ago. “What was he thinking?”
“Well…” Arthur started. Hunny had almost forgotten him on the other end of the line. “We’ve seen this before Huntington. In some industries, executives don’t always understand their own celebrity. And even when they are in the limelight, in many instances, people like to think of CEOs as, well, bon vivants.”
“In this industry, this CEO does not have to be a celebrity. He’s turning himself into one, and not—might I add—in a good way. And as far as being a CEO who’s a black James Bond type playboy—not a bon vivant as you so tactfully put it—I’m sure we can get him to sell tons of birth control and male enhancement gel—”
“Ms. Lewis.” Arthur gasped.
“But, I don’t see the—”
“Ms. Lewis,” Arthur repeated. Hunny clamped her mouth shut. For a moment, Arthur said nothing as if testing whether his audience was truly captive. “Let’s not forget that this multi-million dollar company wants us to help it become a multi-billion dollar company. Let’s also not forget this is your career. Your job is to either tuck this CEO away or clean up his image.”
Hunny nodded, though Arthur could not see it. “Yes,” she agreed vocally. She had to pull it together. She’d had harder assignments. Besides, it was only a little part of a little column. Though, she didn’t subscribe to the theory that any publicity was good publicity, she had to admit this was the only place she’d seen the article.
“Besides, the ended relationship isn’t the big problem.”
With those words, the hair stood up on the back of Hunny’s neck.
* * * *
The next morning, Huntington, who never slept past seven, woke up around nine. She hadn’t received her wakeup call and hadn’t managed to get up on her own. Her heart raced as she got dressed in a slate blue, silk suit with a soft cream shirt beneath. The blouse was a little tight across her bust, but as long as she had her jacket, she figured it would be fine. She slipped on her trouser socks and a pair of navy pumps, clipping pearl earrings on at the same time. Hunny checked herself quickly in the mirror. She looked presentable, conservative, not like she was likely to be swayed by a velvety chocolate hunk.
She gave herself a curt, satisfied nod, grabbed her briefcase and rushed out. When she finally got in the car, carrying the cup of coffee she made from the continental breakfast bar in the lobby, she was in a very, very bad mood.
Her scowl only deepened when she pulled into the Med Sol parking lot and had to slam on the brakes to avoid a car backing haphazardly out of a parking spot. Her silk jacket was summarily destroyed by that same cup of coffee. She let out a distinctively unladylike curse then parked the car. She slammed the door and walked toward the building. Then, somewhere, in the distance, she heard it. Rule Britannia!
Hunny interrupted him. “Arthur, in the building now, gotta go.” Then she hung up and put her phone on silent. She wasn’t going to answer it anymore, but she did want to know if she missed any calls, which she most assuredly would as long as Arthur was on her back.
She walked up to the front desk nodding a greeting at the security guard.
“Huntington Lewis?” the slim man with silver hair asked with a genial smile.
Hunny nodded and smiled back.
“This is your first time here, yes?”
“Yes,” Hunny answered.
“Why that’s fine. We don’t bite. I’ll just need to get some identification to get you a guest badge made up. Then I’ll call Miss Gina to come down for you.” As she rifled through her purse, he asked. “How long will you be staying?”
Hunny swallowed. Her return flight was in a week. She knew when she was supposed to be going back, but she already knew that nothing was simple with this account. “A week.”
“A week, eh?” the guard said. “Well, we ought to get you a contractor badge made up. The guest badges won’t get you into any badged areas, you have to have an escort, but if you’re going to be here for a few days, you need one.”
Hunny nodded even though what she really wanted to do was tell him she wasn’t going to need any long-term badge access. But she knew better than to open her mouth on that subject. The sad fact of the matter was that Huntington knew in all probability she would need it. As she leaned over to sign for her pass, she felt a tap on the shoulder.
“Hey, Huntington.”
Hunny warmed immediately to the smooth and sugary sweet voice. She turned around to the pretty blonde and was tempted to hug the woman facing her. Gina Morrow, Public Relations Director for Med Solutions had been her saving grace since this terror of an account came along. Gina never met a stranger in her life, and Huntington was no exception. Gina made her feel comfortable. She was one of the few people Hunny knew who said exactly what was on her mind and in her heart, a rare trait.
“Hey, Gina.” Hunny squeaked as the larger woman pulled her in for a strong embrace.
“Is she done, Henry?”